Let's Pretend
by Kare38
Summary: Max has a surprising favor to ask Alec. How will he respond and will it affect the future of their relationship?
1. Huh?

Let's Pretend: Chapter One

"Alec! Alec!"

From the shower, I could hear an impatient voice accompanied by incessant knocking just outside my apartment. The door wasn't locked. Once inside TC, there wasn't much need for extra security. Nobody had anything worth stealing. Well at least nothing anyone else knew about (heh heh).

Whoever it was got tired of waiting and burst through the door slamming it shut again. The hinges will be lucky to last another week.

"Alec! Where the hell are you?"

I recognized the voice immediately and sighed. I should have known any chance of taking a peaceful shower would be out of the question.

Stumbling to pull my jeans on, I quickly exited the bathroom to investigate the frantic voice of Max, my CO and well quite frankly my best friend of late. Three weeks had passed since she'd chosen me as her SIC. After the Jam Pony seige and our subsequent barricade inside TC, we'd grown closer. Burying our past animosity out of necessity and banding together with the hopes of solving the mess of problems our "transgenic family" currently found themselves in. Not to mention I was still acting (under duress I might add) as Max's "pretend boyfriend".

"Hey Maxie! Exactly what problem do you need good ol' Alec to solve for you now? Weapons shortage? Food shortage? Hell...we've got an everything shortage? But you know there's nothing I can't handle right?"

Max ignored me, pausing to silently peruse my current state of undress.

Did she just blush? Oh well damn! I forgot to put my shirt on.

But before I could turn to remedy that problem, Max finally responded. "Good your not dressed yet!"

Huh?

"I need your help. OC and Logan are on their way over here in a few minutes and I need them to..." (again she paused). "Can you unbutton your pants?"

Again huh??

Then she proceeded to drape an unfamiliar jacket over my one and only kitchen chair. She took off her own as well, throwing it on the floor in the process moving towards me.

"Hurry up Alec! They could be here any minute." She grabbed my hand and pulled me towards my ratty old couch where she not so gently pushed me back onto it. Raising my eyes to meet hers, I couldn't help but stare at her like she was an anomaly with two heads. Did we have any anomalies with two heads in TC? But I digress.

"Can you fill me in on what I'm missing here Max?", I questioned. "I feel like I've unknowingly skipped a few chapters of this mystery novel. Either that or YOU'VE skipped to the end without telling me."

"I need your help."

"Yah you said that already. I'm gonna need a bit more to go on."

"It's Logan", she began.

I sigh...loudly.

Again she ignores me and continues.

"Well you know that he, Sketchy and Cindy are finally leaving TC today because the toxins are reaking havoc on their systems." I nod for her to continue.

"Well", she went on, "now that we found safe passage for them to go, I gotta say I'm relieved that they're leaving. Don't get me wrong, I'll miss them. But as CO don't I have enough to worry about around here? I can't worry about their health and safety too. Not to mention the virus and Logan."

"So what's the problem then?", I continue to probe.

"Logan told me this morning that he's coming back. Coming back! As soon as Dr. Carr gives him the all clear that the toxins are cleansed from his system, he's sneaking back into TC. Can you believe it?"

"Well, love makes you do crazy things", I reply.

"That's just it. Why would he want to come back and watch the woman he loves with someone else? What is he a sadist? It's like he doesn't believe that you and I are together, not really. If he did, he wouldn't risk his own life just to see me with you. That's when I figured it out! He thinks we're faking!"

"Well we are faking Max", I remind her.

"I know that smart alec but I need him to believe that we're not. Even if he can fight the toxins in here, one accidental touch from me could still kill him. I couldn't live with myself if that happened. Besides, the latex gloves are kinda giving me the creeps lately."

Yah, I gotta agree with her on that one.

"So what's this got to do with me and you (I gesture emphatically between us) being here right now?", I inquire.

"Were you even listening! Cindy and Logan are on their way here right now so Cindy can get her jacket."

"When did OC leave her jacket here?", I heard myself saying aloud.

"She didn't stupid! She's just pretending that she did to have an excuse to bring Logan here before they go. I've already said my good-byes to both of them and Logan won't expect me to be here right now."

"Okay...so once again, what does this have to do with ME?"

She paused and looked me directly in the eyes before replying,

"I want you to have sex with me Alec."

Holy Crap!

End Chapter One.


	2. Decisions

Let's Pretend: Chapter Two

Previously in chapter one of "Let's Pretend"...

"I want you to have sex with me Alec."

Holy Crap!

"Excuse me...did you just ask me to have sex with you?"

Max didn't answer aloud. She simply nodded then removed her black turtleneck, leaving her clad in only a red lace bra and jeans.

My jaw dropped literally. For once in my life I was completely speechless. It was like the world had suddenly slowed and I was existing in an alternate universe. It wasn't until Max lowered herself onto my lap and started to unbutton my pants did I regain my senses!

"Woah! What the hell are doing?" I shrieked. Yes I know...not my most manly of moments.

"What's it look like? I'm trying to make this look real", Max exclaimed. Then she took me even more by surprise and kissed me.

This kiss was...well lets just say it wasn't exactly how imagined kissing Max would be (not that I'd ever imagined it!). She was forcing the action, making it feel both awkward and clumsy. I grabbed her shoulders and forced her back at arms length so I could look at her. Her eyes stayed closed and her lips were slightly swollen from the force of the kiss. I realized at that moment that I had never in my life seen anything more beautiful. Eyes still closed, she leaned forward presumably to kiss me again but I stopped her.

"Max. Look at me", I pleaded. She finally opened her eyes. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I need Logan to walk in on us looking like were about to have...you know."

"Max how are you supposed to make it look real when you can't even say the word?"

"Fine! Sex ok! We have to look like we're going to have sex! There I said it. Are you happy?", she cried out in frustration.

"No, I'm not happy! This whole thing is making me crazy!", I yelled back. "And might I add it's a really bad idea."

Suddenly, her gaze shifted down and she was entirely too quiet for my liking...like the fight had instantly been drained from her. It was then that I heard her quiet voice, no more than a whisper to my transgenic ears.

"Please Alec. Please help me with this", she pleaded. "I'll do whatever you want for payback. Take over your sentry duties for a month, clean your apartment, which could use it by the way. I just...I can't do this anymore. I can't be the girl Logan wants me to be and I won't risk hurting him. He doesn't understand. I've tried telling him in my own way but he doesn't get it. I don't know, maybe he's not meant to. Please help me make him understand that I'm not who he thinks I am, not anymore."

I had made my decision when she said the first "please". But it didn't hurt to hear all of her reasons. She was looking at me expectantly now, uncertainty showing in her beautiful brown eyes.

"If you want it to look real, then you have to relax and trust me. I promise I won't hurt you or do anything you don't want me to ok?"

I could tell she was surprised by my response.

"I do trust you Alec. You're one of my closest friends, probably the person who knows me best", she confessed for the first time.

The naked truth of her statements almost changed my mind...almost. Then she smiled and immediately I smiled back. The one that I reserve just for her, not that she knew it.

"Well then...let's pretend." I raised my hand to her face and let it graze over her cheek softly. Then I reached behind her neck to curl my fingers over her barcode. She sighed, closing her eyes and leaning into my touch. Slowly I pulled her face towards me, my lips coming close to hers but not quite touching. "Max...", I said softly seeking her consent.

"Don't hold back Alec", she commanded. So I didn't.

End Chapter two.


	3. Caught in the Act?

Let's Pretend: Chapter Three

Previously in chapter two of "Let's Pretend"...

Alec: "If you want it to look real you have to relax and trust me."

Max: "I trust you. Don't hold back Alec." So I didn't.

I kissed her with a passion I've never shown any woman before. The feel of her mostly naked torso pressed up against me urged my senses to new heights. Damnit I had to remember that this was just pretend for her and any moment OC and Logan were going to walk through that door and this would all be over. God but the noises Max was making were so real. Man she was good at faking it.

"Alec" she murmured. I pulled back slightly thinking she may have changed her mind. "Don't stop!" she pleaded raking her nails up and down my back leaving red marks in their wake.

I slowly slipped her bra strap down her shoulder leaving wet kisses where my fingers trailed. The action caused Max to wrap her arms more tightly around my back and press her hips firmly against me. The feel of her heated core against my own worn denim was enough to have me involuntarily thrusting my pelvis forward in response.

Almost instantly we pulled back, breathless and panting as if suddenly realizing our actions may have a crossed a line that went beyond just "pretend". Max gazed at me questioningly before giving me the most beautiful smirk I'd ever seen. Wait a minute, Max smirks?

I saw desire reflected in her eyes and dare I hope... something more? It was all the positive reinforcement I needed. I pulled her back towards me, tilting her head so I could deepen the fusion of our mouths. Her tongue slipped forward against mine and her taste was like heaven. One of my hands slipped down to her backside pressing her more firmly against me, letting her know exactly the effect she was having on me. My other hand slipped to the back clasp of her bra, my fingers lingering under the strap.

"Take it off!", she whispered in my ear taking the lobe gently between her teeth. Well I am supposed to follow her orders right? With a quick snap, I removed the offending garment while that same hand moved itself to the front of her body cupping her naked breast.

"Jesus Max! Do you have any idea how goddamn beautiful you are? I mean.." She cut off my next remark with a bruising kiss which lasted until we were forced to come up for air. This time I didn't give her any time to recover before moving my mouth sensuously down her chest and closing my lips over her taut nipple. I moaned at the overwhelming taste sensation and Max cried out my name in pleasure. I faintly heard a noise in the background just as the door to the apartment opened with a bang causing us both to look towards the source of the disruption.

"Uh...Sorry Boos. We knocked...ALOT but well...nobody answered. Now I can see why", OC explained. "We heard noises coming from inside and well Logan thought someone might be getting hurt but that's just not the case now is it?", OC questioned in her matter of fact way.

I suddenly realized our state of undress and grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch pulling it over Max and me but not relinquishing my hold on her.

"Hey guys! We weren't expecting anyone. We were just uh...relaxing, right Maxie?"

"Yeah, we've been really busy in TC lately and needed to...unwind", Max attempted to explain.

"Uh huh! I don't know about you boo but I think what you two were doing may be more winding up...then down", OC mused with a smirk.

I attempted to look sheepish, failing miserably. Max rolled her eyes at OC, looking very uncomfortable. She glanced towards Logan who hadn't spoken a word since entering my apartment. He stared back at us in disbelief.

Max addressed him with a guilty but resolute expression on her face. "Hey Logan. Sorry about all this. We didn't know anyone was coming by", she said.

"Yeah, I can see that", Logan replied blankly.

"Forgot my jacket Boo." Looking around, OC pulled her coat from where it hung on the back of my kitchen chair. An uncomfortable silence filled the room.

After one of the longer minutes of my life, I was relieved to hear OC interupt the tension by saying, "I think that's enough contemplation of the awkwardness of this situation! Logan and I were just headed out of TC. It's time to cleanse our bloodstreams of filthy toxins and all that. Don't get up...please," she urged with a cheeky smile.

"We'll just let the two of you...get back to it?" OC paused looking towards the entwined couple with a slight raise of her stylish eyebrow.

"See ya later Cin...Logan", I nodded towards them both. OC smiled a secret little smile back at me then turned to leave. Logan, not surprisingly, did not acknowledge my gesture. He didn't move to leave either.

"I'll call you later OC", Max said.

"You'd better", was her friend's reply on the way out the door.

"Good-bye Logan", Max said. "Thank-you for helping us out in TC these past few weeks! We...I really do appreciate everything you've done." She stared directly at him, daring him to not believe what he saw with his own eyes. I nuzzled Max's neck to heighten the impact of her words.

"I guess this is good-bye Max. You know where to find me if you need me. Be careful", Logan sighed in defeat.

Max could feel my lips move against her neck, mimicking Logan's final two words as they were spoken. She elbowed my ribs sharply under the blanket just as the door to the apartment closed and our spectators disappeared.

"Ow! What was that for?", I questioned.

"For being a jackass you...jackass!", she replied trying to pull away from me as she said it.

I didn't let her. I mean half naked Max in my lap. As if I'm going to let her get up right away.

"Oh how very original with the physical and verbal abuse Maxie. You'd think after the amazing thing that just happened between us, you would treat me just a little bit nicer."

Crap did I just say that out loud? TMI.

Max looked at me stunned. Her gaze reflecting the questions that came immediately from her mouth. "What do you mean the amazing thing that just happened? It was all for show right? Just pretend like we said? Right Alec? Alec?" She continued to stare at me, awaiting my response. For the second time that night, an awkward silence filled the room.

End Chapter Three


	4. Get Back to It!

Let's Pretend: Chapter Four

Previously in chapter three of "Let's Pretend"...

Alec: "You'd think after the amazing thing that just happened between us, you would treat me a bit nicer."

Max: "What do you mean after the amazing thing that just happened? It was all for show right? Just pretend like we said? Right Alec? Alec?" She continued to stare at me, awaiting my response.

I didn't say anything at first. I simply stared back at her with those same questions running around in my own head. But after a long moment of no one saying anything, Max jolted me from my thoughts pulling away from me abruptly to stand.

"Forget it", she said like it was a command and started gathering her clothes from the floor, putting them back on with a jerking force.

"Just forget I said anything. I know this whole situation has put a serious damper on your social life lately. I mean the last thing you want from any woman, especially me, is a relationsh...whatever. I gotta go." Then she started for the door and was just reaching for the knob when I finally got up the courage to speak.

"Never", I began. "It was never just pretend for me." Max stopped mid reach and turned back to look at me. Her Manticore mask had slipped and surprise was evident on her beautiful face.

I still didn't have any idea how she was going to react to what I had to say. I mean Max is anything but predictable. Oh hell! What was that ordinary expression? In for a penny...so I took a deep breath and continued.

"When you first told me you lied to Logan and said we were together, I reacted the way I did not because it would ruin my social life. I just wasn't sure how I was going to handle the whole situation. I mean honestly, I don't know how Logan could have ever believed we were "like that" anyway." I used "air quotes" to accentuate her favorite comeback phrase.

"I mean come on Max! All you did was hit me and yell at me most of the time and I did everything I could to piss you off. I guess I did wonder about how far we might need to go to convince Logan someday and if I could actually pull it off without making an ass of myself or more importantly, getting my own ass thoroughly kicked in the process", I said to her.

"But then why...", Max started to ask but I cut her off and continued with my rant.

"I saw you holding his hand at the flag raising and I thought, well good, problem solved. She's going to tell Logan the truth because she can't pretend to be with me when she loves him right? But you didn't tell him. Then you asked me to be your SIC and we grew closer. We started spending most of our time together and even seemed to understand each other a little better. I knew you were pulling away from him and moving towards me but I didn't know exactly what that meant. To be honest, I still don't. And just now, right before OC and Logan burst through the door, something changed between us again Max. Didn't it?" It was my turn to look expectantly at her now.

"Alec I...", Max paused fumbling with her words as if not knowing how to reply. I look down in defeat until I heard the words that I'd never expected to hear her say to me.

"I think I started falling in love with you when you got shot at Jam Pony. I know I know, I brushed it off like it was nothing at the time but I just couldn't let anyone, especially myself, see how affected I was by you getting hurt. I mean you're right Alec, up until then we drove each other nuts! But at that moment, with White's men closing in on us, I wondered what I'd do if you were gone from my life and my heart literally ached at that thought. That's when I realized I wasn't in love with Logan anymore. He's a wonderful man and will always be my friend but I didn't want to try so hard to be a normal girl anymore. I guess I accepted that I never really was. You always tried to tell me that but I wouldn't listen." Max said. "That's why I asked you to be my SIC. I knew that whatever my future held, it would be so much better with you by my side."

"Besides", she continued, "somebody has to watch your back and make sure you stop getting shot all the time!"

"Yah, good luck with that Maxie!" I replied with a smirk.

"Alec", she said hesitantly. "I don't know how you feel about me but..."

"I'm in love with you Max", I confessed moving forward to stand in front of her. "I have been for such a long time that I can't even remember when it started."

"So where does all this leave us now?" she wondered placing her hands in mine and looking at me intently.

In response, I raised my hands to her face cupping her cheeks and causing her own to slip to my waist. I stared back at Max for a moment, making sure to show her every emotion that I was feeling. Then moving one hand to the back of her neck, I caressed her barcode tenderly. Just like before, she closed her eyes and sighed.

"Well", I began. "It's just like OC said Maxie". Instantly, she opened her eyes and raised an eyebrow at me, confused but curious about what I would say. I didn't disappoint.

"We just have to...get back to it!" I exclaimed with a smirk on my face, pressing my lips urgently against hers and pulling us back towards the couch where it had all began.

Who would've thought my day would end like this? I guess it just goes to show that Manticore must've done something right because that night two former "breeding partners" realized they really were perfect together.

The End.

This is my first fan fic. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review. Sorry if it was a bit sappy but I'm a sucker for a happy ending, especially where Max and Alec are concerned!


End file.
